Clipper or shearing-tool.



Patented Dec. I7, I90I.

y J. K. STEWART, y GLIPPER-*OR SHEABING TO0L.

(Application man nm. 4, l1901. mnewed one. 21, 1901.1

(No Model.)

kwowr UNITED STA-TES JOHN K. STEWART, O

E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l. Y

CLIPPER lOAR SHEARlNG-TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,241, dated December 17, 1901.

Application led January 4,1901. Renewed October 21, 1901.

T0 all w/w'm/ t may conceive:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clippers or shearing-Tools, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to improved means in a shearing-tool or clipper for maintaining equal pressure between the cutters at all the several fingers or cutting-points and at all points of its operation and for easing the action of the cutters upon each other without causing liability of said cutters to be separated byforeign substances, preventing their operativeness, and in respect to those features and as an improvement upon a form of device shown in my Patent No. 665,553, dated January 8, 1901, my said invention consisting of specific devices for this pu1pose,which are set out in the claims. v

In the drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section of myimproved shearing-tool. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the capplate removed. Fig. 3 is a detail section at the line 3 8 on Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail plan of a portion ofthe cutter-operating lever and appurtenances, showing a modilcation. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical longitudinal section ot' the tool in the modified form shown in Fig. 4, the plane of such section being denoted by the line 5 5 on Fig. 4.

A is the body, on which the operating parts are journaled and mounted and which carries rigid with it at the forward end the comb or iXed cutter B.

C is the operating-shaft, which is j ourn'aled in the handle A2 of the bodyand actuates the main lever D bythe customary crank-pin and roll c, operating in the vertical channel D at the rear end of the lever D. The lever Dis fulcrumed on a post A2, rigid with the body A. It is bifurcated forward of its bearing on the pivot-post. Toward the forward end of the bifurcation the arms thereof are connected at the upperside bya cross-bar D2. In the space lbetween the fork-arms D3 D3 and under the cross-bar D2 the lever-arm E extends, said lever-arm being spread or forked at its forward end, terminating in the bearing-fin- Scrial No. 79,344. (No model.)

gers E E', which rest upon the oscillating cutter G toward the opposite ends of the latter and having just behind said bearing-iingers the pins e e, which take into the oscillating cutter, thereby constituting said leverarm the medium by which the operating-lever D communicates movement to the oscillating cutter.

H is a supplemental lever-finger, which is pivoted at h tothe lever-arm E and extends forward from its pivot under or in a slot or channel E2 of the lever-arm E, protruding between the ngers E/ E' of the latter and bearing upon the middle tooth G2 of the cutter G. A pivot H connects the supplemental leverfinger H pivotally with the operating-lever D, said pivot'extendingthrough the fork-arms of the leverD a little forward of the position of the cross-bar D2, and said pivot also takes of the body or case A. The under surface of g the plate J is parallel with the plane of contact of the cutters, and the' upper face of the cross-bar D2 is designed to be also in that plane, and is finished so as to move with minimum friction on said plate J as the operatinglever D oscillates. The pivotal aperture in the finger H is also enlarged from the middle toward both ends, being made slightly hourglass shaped, permitting thereby a slight oscillation of the said finger, and thereby of the lever E, about its longitudinal axis, in addition to its lever action about said pivot.

F is the adj usting-screw or pressure-screw. It is screwed through the leverE toward the rear end of the latter, said lever being provided with a boss E4, extending upward to aord the screw a long bearing in said lever, and the screw at the lower end im pinges upon the operating-lever D, which has a web d2 thrown across the bottom of the gap between the fork-arms D3 D3 for this purpose. The under edge of the head F of the screw F is serrated, and a spring-dog L is attached to the operating-lever D, arranged to engage the serrations to lock the adjusting-screw at any position to which it may be adjusted. The cap A has an aperture A to accommodate the adj listing-screw and so much of the springdog L as it is necessary to have protrude through the cap to properly engage the head ot the screw. It will be seen that by screwing down the adjusting-screw F the rear end ofthe lever-arm is elevated, and the fingers E' E' at the forward end, resting on the oscillat- ,ing cutter G and pressing Iit on the ixed cutter B, cause an upward pressure on the pivot 7L of the lever-finger H, which in this action fulcru ms at its pivotal connection to the operf ating-lever D, which is effected by means of the pivot-pin H', and such tingeris thus forced down at. its forward end onto the cutter G, while the reaction of said lever-finger H at its pivotal connection at its rear end to the lever E causes that lever to be" forced downward also at its forward end or fingers E' E', said lever in this action fulcruming ou the cud of the adjusting-screw F, where said screw impinges or is stepped upon the web d3 Aofi' the operating-lever D. The relative positions of the pivots h and H and the step or bearing-point of the end of the screw F upon the web d3 are such that the pressure of the teeth of the cutter G, which are pressed upon respectively by the ugers E E' of the lever-arm E and by the terminal of the leverfinger 1I, is substantially equal upon the fixed cutter or comb il. It'is designed that the two cutters should be held together by unyielding or inelastic pressure, and the pressure-screw F is designed to be adjnsted'to cause this perfeet contact with barely-perceptible pressure without springing the parts, so as to cause any tendency ot' the cutter-teeth G', G', and G2 of the oscillating cutter springing down between the teeth of the xed cutter or comb B, as there might be under au elastic pressure by reason of the slightly-hollow contour of said cutter-teeth, said hollow being not perceptible in the drawings. With such elastic pressure either the cutters are held togetherwith such slight force that a hair or wool fiber frequently is entered between them, so as to hold them apart, thus destroying their power to cut reliably, or if the pressure is too great to permit such an occurrence it causes the teeth ot the oscillating cutter to spring down between the teeth of the fixed cutter and so to cause the teeth of the opposed teeth to cut each other and so become very rapidly rounded and dulled.

In the structure above described all the parts by which the pressure is transmitted to the cutters are as rigid as possible and the distance between the bearing-points as short as possible, so that the spring of the parts is rey duced to a minimum, and by this means, although at the point at which the pressure reacts against the case-that is, where the bar D2 bears against the under side of the plate J-the construction necessitates sliding friction, a very easy action is obtained and one which causes the minimum wear at the plate J. By arranging this plate to be applied from the outside and to be a detachable cap susceptible of being thoroughly finished and hardened this bearing is made very easy to keep in order. An especial advantage of construction at this point arises from the fact that the bearing-surface of the operating-lever D upon the case faces downward, so that it is not liable to accumulate dust and dirt and hairs, which would interfere with the action and cause the plate to be cut away. It is essential that all the parts vwhich bear upon the oscillating cutter shall have opportunity to rock at the step-bearing at the end of the pressure or tension screw F on the web di', so that said oscillating cutter may be accommodated in all parts to the upper part of the Iixed cutter or comb. It is also essential that the oscillating cuttershould receive the full range of oscillating or reciprocating movement which the operating-lever D is calculated to give it, and for this reason there should not be any lateral play allowed to the lever-arm E with respect to the lnain operating-lever D, of which it is practically the extension. In ord er to atord the rocking movement, which is necessary, and also to prevent any lateral movement, which is undesirable, I have provided the detail structure above described, consisting of forking the forward portion of the operating-lever D and giving to the oscillating lever E a stem which extends between the arms of such fork and which at two points-to wit,at the rear end and at least where the pivot H extends through said stem-is made to it closely between the fork-arms, so that it has no lateral movement, and in order that said stem may be of proper form to permit the oscillation of the lever D about a longitudinal axis I make it substantially cylindrical or' circular about a longitudinal axis, the rear end being also preferably rounded about a horizontal axis, and thereby becoming approximately a spherical knob, as seen at e4, so that while fitting tightly between the arms of the fork it shall be free to oscillate about the longitudinal axis and also to move up and down slightly as necessary in order to permit the movement for adjusting the parts to contact with the pressure caused by the screw F, and in order that the oscillation about the longitudinal axis may be consistent with the fact that such oscillation or rocking movement takes place by rocking upon the step of the screw F where the latter bears upon the web B3, I construct the 'parts so that the lpoint of bearing is substantially in the axis of the cylindrical stem of said lever-arm E.

The bearing-surface with which the operating-lever is provided in position for bearing upwardly against the downwardly-'facing plate .I may be the surface of antifrictionrollerstone or more) suitably journaled on IOLI IIO

said operating-level', as in the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein said rollers are denoted by the letters (Z2 cl2. These rollers should be j ournaled with their axes radial to the axis of oscillation of the lever and should be tapered slightly, so as to roll naturally in the arc which the roller is caused to describe by the oscillation of the lever.

By the term bearing-surface used in the claims to denote the surface which bears upwardly against the downwardly-facing plate J, I design to be understood as indicating indierently the surface of the integral operating-lever or the surface of the antifrictionroller, which may be mounted on such lever, and thereby interposed between the integral lever and the plate, to aord the direct contact with the latter.

I claiml. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with a case or body, the lever for operating the oscillating cutter provided on its side with an antifriction-roller, the upper wall or cap of the case having an aperture above the path of such roller, and a detachable plate applied at such aperture and having its lower face in the plane parallel to the plane of contact of the cutters and arranged to afford bearing for the upper surface of the roller as the lever oscillates.

2. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the cutter and the main operatinglever, a lever-arm actuated by said main operating-lever, having loose pivotal connections thereto and laterally restrained thereby, but having a limited freedom of oscillation about a longitudinal axis, and of vertical movement with respect to said main operating-lever, the latter having journaled upon its upper side an 'antifriction-roller exposed upwardly, and the case having a plate having a downwardly-facing bearing-surface parallel to the plane of contact of the cutters, against which such antifriction-roller bears upwardly as the lever oscillates.

In aclipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the case or body, the lever for operating the oscillating cutter having mounted upon it and exposed upwardly two antifriction-rollers whose axes converge toward the axis of oscillation of the lever, the upper wall or cap of the case having an aperture above the path of oscillation of said rollers, and a detachable plate applied at such aperture and having its lower face in a plane parallel to the plane of contact of the cutters and arranged to afford bearing for said upwardlyexposed antifriction-rollers.

4. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the cutter and the main operatinglever, a lever-arm actuated by said main operating-lever having loose pivotal connection thereto and laterally restrained thereby, but having limited freedom of oscillation about a longitudinal axis, and of vert-ical movement with respect to said main operating-lever, the latter having an upwardly-facing bearing-surface, and the case having a plate with a bearing-surface parallel to the plane of contact of the cutters, against which the bearing-surface of the main lever presses.

5. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the oscillating cutter, the main operating-lever; a lever-arm having loose pivotal connection to said main operating-lever and laterally restrained thereby, but having a limited freedom of oscillation about a longitudinal axis, and of vertical movement with respect to said lever, and bearing on the oscillating cutter and constituting the medium by which the main lever actuates said cutter; a screw operating between said main lever and said lever-arm screwed into one of said parts and impinging against the other to adjust the lever-arm in vertical plane about its pivotal connection tothe main operating-lever, the latter having an upwardly-facing bearing-surface, and the case having a plate with the bearing-surface parallel with the plane of contact of the cutters, against which the bearing-surface of the main operating-lever is pressed by the action of the screw forcing the cutters into contact.

6. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the case or body, the oscillating cutter; the main operating-lever fulcrumed on the body; a lever-arm having a stem extending in and laterally restrained by said operating-lever having a loose pivotal connection thereto and limited freedom of oscillation about the longitudinal axis of its stem and of vertical movement with respect to said operating-lever, said lever-arm at the forward end bearing on the oscillating cutter and constituting the medium by which the main lever actuates said cutter; and a screw operating between said lever-arm and said operating-lever, to adjust the former about its pivot to the latter. v

7. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the case or body, the oscillating cutter and the main operating-lever; a leverarm which at the forward end bears upon the oscillating cutter toward the opposite ends of the latter; a supplemental lever-finger pivoted at its rear end to 'said lever-arm, and at its forward end bearing upon the oscillating cutter intermediate the ends of the latter, said lever-finger being pivoted to the main operating-lever forward of its pivotal attachment to the lever-arm, and having at its said pivot to the operating-lever limited freedom of oscillation about a longitudinal axis, and an adj usting-screw, operating between the rear portion of said lever-arm and the operating-lever, being screwed into one of said parts and impinging against the other, to press the oscillating cutter against the xed cutter.

8. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the case, the oscillating cutter and the main operating-lever, a lever-arm carried by the main operating-lever and laterally restrained thereby, and at its forward IOO end bearing on the oscillating cutter toward the opposite ends of the latter; a supplemental lever-finger pivoted at its rear end to said lever-arm, and at its forward end bearing upon the oscillating cutter intermediate the ends of the latter; said supplemental lever-nger being pivoted to the operating-lever forward of its pivotal connection to said lever-arm, and having at its said pivotal connection to the operating-lever limited range of oscillation about a longitudinal axis; said operating-lever being pivoted on a post rigid with the case, and having an upwardly-facing bearing-surface, and the case having its plate with the bearing-surface parallel with the plane of contact with the cutter, against which the bearing-surface of the operatinglever may be pressed; an adjusting-screw, operating between the operating-lever and said lever-arm, screwed into one of said parts and impinging against the other to force the oscillating cutter upon the fixed cutter.

9. In a clipper or shearing-tool, in combination with the case or body having the fixed cutter, the oscillating cutter; a main operating-lever fulcrumed on a rigid post of the case; a lever-arm which at its forward end bears upon the oscillating cutter toward the ends of the latter and constitutes the medium by which the operating-lever actuates said cutter; a supplemental lever-finger pivoted t0 said lever-arm and extending forward from its pivot and at its forward end bearing upon the oscillating cutter intermediate the ends of the latter; a pivot which connects said 1ever-iinger to the operating-lever, said pivot extending through the lever-arm the pivotapertures in said lever-arm and said supplemental lever-finger being enlarged both ways from a middle point'in the latter, to permit said lever arm and finger to have a limited range of oscillation about a longitudinal axis, and an adjusting-screw operating between said lever-arm and said operating-lever at the rear part of the former to force its forward end down upon the oscillating cutter.

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses, this 31st day of December, A. D. 1900.

- JOHN K. STEWART. In presence 0f- QHAs. S. BURTON,

ADNA I-I. BOWEN, Jr. 

